Getting your washing dry from October onwards can be a long and frustrating process, with the unpredictable autumn weather often forcing you to bring laundry back indoors. It means having to put up with damp clothes taking up space in your rooms for days at a time, with the lack of sunshine and wind making drying times significantly longer.
But according to laundry experts, there is a very simple way to get your clothes dry faster during the autumn and winter months and all you need is an extra towel. Experts say you should put your clothes on an extra spin cycle and then throw in a dry towel, as these combined help to absorb excess moisture which then ultimately speeds up the drying process.
During a spin cycle, the drum of the washing machine runs at a higher speed, which creates centrifugal force, helping to extract excess water from your clothes, meaning they’re not as wet when you take them out – and with the addition of the dry towel, even more water is removed, so your laundry won’t take as long to dry. This tip can also be used if you have a tumble dryer and will soak up excess moisture from your clothes to speed up drying times.
Experts at Fresh Recipes explain: “Many machines have a high-speed or extra spin option that dramatically reduces moisture in your clothes. When used correctly, this setting can make a big difference – leaving your laundry almost dry and cutting air-drying time in half or more.”
The experts add: “Even if your washer doesn’t have high-tech features, you can still dry laundry faster with these tricks. Use a dry towel trick. Toss a large dry towel into your wet laundry and run an extra spin. It helps absorb more moisture.
“Shake out clothes after the spin cycle to prevent wrinkles and speed up air circulation. Hang clothes strategically. Space them out, use hangers or racks with good airflow, and place near fans or windows.”
According to experts, a thorough spin cycle can cut drying times for clothes by up to 50% so it’s well worth doing before hanging your laundry up, especially in the colder months when the air is cooler.
Most washing machines will offer various spin speed options, with low spins (around 600 to 800 RPM) recommended for delicates, medium spins (around 900 to 1000 RPM) for everyday clothing, and high spins (1000+ RPM) for heavy fabrics like towels and jeans.
And with the addition of a dry towel in the spin cycle, drying times should be even faster which means you won’t have to constantly sit surrounded by damp washing this autumn and winter.
Explaining the technique to Family Handyman, Ron Shimek, president of Mr. Appliance, said: “The same reason we use towels to dry our hair or clean up messes: They’re absorbent. A dry towel in the dryer acts as a kind of sponge, pulling excess moisture away from the wet clothes.
“As the wet and dry items mix, the dry towel absorbs some of the moisture from the wet clothes, reducing overall humidity in the dryer and allowing the clothes to dry faster.”